How to Use a Floating Petunia

Easy to grow, lovely to smell and blooming all summer long, petunias are one of the most popular flowering annuals. Of the hundreds of petunia varieties, the Grandiflora petunias produce the largest single flowers, up to 4 inches across, and are therefore the easiest to use in floating arrangements. Use large floating petunia arrangements as centerpieces for parties and weddings and use smaller ones to add color and the petunia fragrance to guest bathrooms, kitchen windowsills and even decorative tables set in hallway corners.

Water
Bowl
Wide glass container or vase
Scissors
Petunia blossoms

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a watertight bowl or other glass container with lukewarm water as high as you'd like the petunia blossoms to float. If you're using a wide glass vase, for example, the petunias could float in the middle of the vase instead of near the top. If you're using a clay bowl, the flowers could float near the top so they're visible.
- 2
  Cut an odd number of blossoms in full bloom from their stems. This looks more natural in arrangements than even numbers. Leave a 1/2-inch of each stem to help balance the flower in the water.
- 3
  Leave the leaves that remain on the top 1/2-inch of stem if they come above the water line; otherwise, cut or gently pull the leaves off.
- 4
  Set the cut flowers in the water, allowing enough room for them to float freely and not be bunched together on the water's surface.

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